Indy Scream Park was one of our favorite haunted attractions last year, so we couldn’t wait to spend opening weekend of the 2013 season back in our neighboring city of Anderson. The 45-minute trip felt much shorter than it actually was with a car full of talkative haunted house enthusiasts anxious for their first scare of the year.

The Monster Midway ties together everything that is the Indy Scream Park experience and puts a pretty bow on the entire package. The commons area is a key factor that sets Indy Scream Park apart from other haunts and proved to be an endless source of frightening fun as the roaming monsters and villains crept behind unsuspecting patron after unsuspecting patron. Indy Mojo Spook Staffer Gwen Wilson caught the eye of a giant, decaying clown who chased her into a port-o-let. When friends told her the coast was clear, she mistakenly believed them and opened the door. (click the button in the upper left corner to un-mute the clip!)

Our group also found the concessions to be quite satisfying- most notably a freshly hand-dipped corn dog for a mere $3. Three large fire pits provide both warmth and ambiance that draw in out-of-breath victims seeking refuge before embarking on their next haunt.

IndyMojo.com Spook Staffer Kayleigh Dye agrees, “Indy Scream Park sets the bar extremely high when it comes to overall haunting experiences. One of my major annoyances with haunted houses is that the money required for the ticket is often not justified by the time spent at the venue, but in Indy Scream Park’s case this is simply not true. In addition to visiting five terrifying haunts, we also had the opportunity to play carnival games, sip on a beer or cider and pose for a gruesome reenactment photo with many iconic Halloween characters seen strolling around The Monster Midway.

She continues, “The layout of the venue was functional and the staff was engaging. In between houses we stopped for a few handmade treats at the food tent. Fair prices and high quality won me over as I snacked on a corn dog and elephant ear.”

Spook Staffer Eric Graul favored the indoor haunts over the outdoor excursions. He explains, “Brickmore Asylum has the look and feel of an old mental hospital gone terribly, frighteningly wrong in all the right ways. My personal favorite here was bumping into “Tiny” enjoying a meal and the impressive (and loud) tesla coil lighting up a sizable room and an unfortunate victim.

“The final indoor area, Nachtmahr, is dark and plenty gory. Here, I found myself bargaining with one its inhabitants for my girlfriend’s body parts- not what I was expecting and super freaking creepy!”

IndyMojo.com Promotions Director and fellow Spook Staffer Matt Ramsey cites Brickmore Asylum as his favorite of the five haunts and also gives a shout out to Tiny, “Not being a very small guy, it was quite intimidating as he moved slowly and watched us walk through the room around him.” Creative Director Marcus Poulin later told us that he and his partner watched the most recent season of American Horror Story (which took place in a 1960’s asylum), to get inspiration for the set. The Brickmore Asylum is Indy Scream Park’s newest addition and it’s apparent that they’ve invested much time and money into its development.

Walking through Backwoods last year felt like a light-hearted romp through the woods, but this year every hillbilly we met was even more demented than the last. Backwoods stood out for its constant sensual fluctuation between the expansive, unknown space of the woods and the restrictive confinement of homes inhabited by crazy people. I found myself in an endless loop of hysterical laughter and unanticipated scares, making it my favorite of the five attractions at Indy Scream Park.

Ramsey adds, “This section was the only one to scramble the order of our group. With the way we were twisted and turned (sometimes even chased), members of our group found themselves in a different walking order at various points. That was different than what I’m used to, and I liked that.”

The Indy Scream Park offers a world class haunting experience right here in our own Midwestern back yard. While the drive and ticket price may at first seem a bit steep, any patron will agree both are more than justified by the fun and excitement they’ll get in return.